Electric lighting apparatus



June 9, 1936. J, b, CADIEUX 2,043,793

ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATU$ s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1930 INVENTOR June 9, 1936.

J. O. CADIEUX" ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR June 9, 1936.

J. o. CADIE UX ELECTRIC LIGHTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR i ported by a socket II. The connection is effected Patented June 9, 1936 atom name mums Y Joseph Cadienx, Meriden; Conn.,assignor to Connecticnt'Telephone & ElectricCorpox-ation,

11 1 Meriden, Conn. a corporation! Delaware. 1

ApplicationNovember s, 1930. Serial No. 495,886

a Claims- (01.177-329) My invention relates particularly to luminescent gas tube lamps intendedfor .traflic signaling systems. i

xQne object is to provide simple, convenient and durable means for mounting signal lamps ofthis, character Anotherobject is to provide a combination' transformer and lamp construction suitable ifor. trafllc signaling. Another object is to provide means for supporting and adjusting a. nescent gas tube. Another objectis't pro; vide means tor supporting a number oflamps in a single casing.

ing my invention. a

Fig. 2 is a side view 01' the same. Fig. 3 is a front view of a double unit, one be- Fig. 1 is a front view of 'a construction embodying arranged beneath the other.

with their sockets and transformers in asingle casing on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionand front view of the construction shown in Fig. 5 on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The housing 1 could be of any suitable material and construction supported either from a hanger 8 or on a pedestal at base 8.

Within the casing I mount one or more tubes such as 9 containing asuitablelurnmescent gas a of the desired light emitting color. Each tube is preferably'of a spiral form having its terminals mounted in a base 10 which is adaptedto be supthrough prongs l2 insertable in clips H. The

socket is adapted to be adjusted horizontally in the casing by one or more screws such as H and i5. Each tube may be supported at one or more places, for instance, by bracketssuch as ii to supplement the support received from the base of the lamp.

t the casing. In order to use a standard and symmetrically disposed type of casing I may make the In some lamps of this character it is desirable tosupply current from ordinary lighting mains having a potential of 110 or 220 volts and in such 7 cases it may be necessary or desirableto use a transformer H to step up the potential to that required for the particular tube employedr-"Ihe casing of the transformer may convenientlysupport the socket II or its lamp tube. The transcasing large enough on both sides to accommoside oi'. thejc'asing and the other unit in the other" sideas shown in Fig. 5. In such case a filler plug l1} may be u'sedto fill in the vacant space alongside or thetransformer IT. The end of thecas- 5 ing maybefclosed by apl'ate l9.

A glass or lens 20 may be employed on one or both sides, or a screen 2| may be employed in order to protect thelamptubes within the cas ing.. Shields 22 maybe employed asiscommon 10 in signal lighting. t t .It will be understood that theprimary conductors will be led in to the casing in any suitable manner as for instance through the top-or supporting member 8 as shown in Fig.6.

The lamp thus far described is obviously capable of showing signals in two directions only although it may be rotated to show signals in other directions. When it is desired to signal in two directions at right angles to each other without rotating the lamp, two lamps may be provided as .shown in Fig. 3. In this instance the upper unit corresponds with the construction previously described and the lower unit is similarly constructed but arranged with its light directing members 25 at right angles to the upper unit. t

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 there are two units supported on a pedestal or post 25 at right angles to each other. These may be both arranged in a common plane but faced in directions at right angles to each other so as to control a four-way tramc.

Lamps of this character have the distinct advantage of long life and small current consumption. Furthermore it is possible to produce a widevariety of colors by using proper gases and t at the same time employtransparent glass tubing, which is a much more eflicient method of lighting than the use of differently colored glasses.

I wish it understood that the construction may be varied to conform with local highway intersection requirements so that a single lighting unit may be used at a dead end intersection and that additional units may be added where the number of intersecting highways makes this necessary or desirable. While the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are at right angles, the angular displacement ot the units may be adjusted to suit the direction of approach over roads that windows centrally disposed in two other sides, a transformer and tube socket mounted in each of said extension compartments, said sockets being offset with respect to each other, and lumi nescent gas tubes adapted to be mounted in said sockets and to overlap one another in line with said windows.

2. Traflic signal apparatus comprising a casing having a central tube compartment with lat eral extensions and intervening windows, said extensions having detachable end plates, a transformer and connected socket mounted in each extension, a luminescent gas tube mounted in each of said sockets, the latter being offset to permit the tubes supported thereby to overlap each other.

3. In traflic signal apparatus a housing having aligned openings in opposite sides thereof and two diametrically disposed extensions, transparent covers for said openings, a plurality of compact spirally disposed luminescent gas tubes adapted to emit different colored lights when energized, means for supporting said tubes in said casing in laterally displaced planes parallel to said covers, thecenters of the spirals being'substantially in line with the center points of said covers, and means including transformers in veach of two diametrically disposed extensions of said housing for energizing each of said tubes independently .of the others, each of said tubes being effective to transmit rays through each of said covers,

4. Tramc signal apparatus comprising a casing having a central compartment, diametrically disposed extension compartments on two sides of said casing, transparent windows in two other sides, a transformer and a tube socket mounted in each of said extension compartments, said sockets being laterally spaced in a plane perpendicular to said windows, spirally wound luminescent gas tubes supported in said sockets in line with said windows, one of said tubes overlapping the other.

5.Trafiic signal apparatus comprising a casing having a central compartment, diametrically disposed extension compartments on two sides of said casing, transparent windows in two other sides of the casing, a transformer in each of said extension compartments and movable therein, a tube socket operatively connected to each of said transformers, pairs of members movably supported in opposed walls of said casing and having threaded engagement therewith, the members of each pair being in axial alignment with one another with the inner ends thereof engagingopposite sides of one of said sockets whereby the latter may be adjusted transversely of said 2 housing, luminescent gas tubes each of large light emitting area compared to said windows supported in said sockets in overlapping position between said windows whereby each of said tubes transmits light through both of said windows.

JOSEPH O. CADIEUX. 

